Electrical musical instrument



Allg- 19, 1952 P. P. PATTYN I 2,607,256

ELECTRICAL MUSICAL' INSTRUMENT Filed June 15, 1949 5 sheets-sheet 1 Hkrref? 2'2"? n ATTORNEYS Aug. 19, 1952 P. P. PATTYN ELECTRICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENT Filed June 15, 1949 mi? V//////////////////////// .l `0 [Ul k INVENTOR. D] Her-fe RPa'yn N BY MMATTORNEY.,

Allg 19, 1952 P. P. PATTYN 2,607,256

ELECTRICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENT Filed Junel, 1949 3 sheets-sheet 's 5./ INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS Patented ug. 19, 1952 ELECTRICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENT Pierre l. Pattyn, Detroit, Mich., assigner, by mesne assignments, to John A. Patroske `application June l5, 1949, Serial No. 99,234

(Cl. Sli- 1.28)

Z Ciaims.

'i'fhis invention relates to an improved electrical musical instrument.

An object of this invention is to provide an electrical musical instrument with means for voicing and combining tones and which gives the performer powers of expression which are far greater than those possessed by any other instrument. y

Another object of this invention is to provide an instrument incapable of getting out of tune so long as the speed of the driving motors remain constant.

A further object of this invention is to provide an improved. electrical musical instrument which is capable of producing a plurality of musical sounds.

A further object of this invention is the provision of an apparatus for selectively reproducing instrumental compositions and in variable volume.

A further object of this invention is the provision of an apparatus for selectively reproducing instrumental compositions high enough in volume for the rendition of musical compositions in large auditoriums and low enough in volume for practice purposes.

A further object of this invention is to provide a musical instrument capable of producing an unlimited variety of musical tones.

A further object of this invention is to provide a musical instrument whereby new and interesting musical results may be obtained.

Another important object of the invention is to provide means whereby the tones of a number of diierent sounds, may be produced simultaneously; also to provide a means for quickly changing from o-ne combination oi tones to another combination of tones.

It is an important object of the invention to provide means for producing musical tones or any other sounds without accompanying mechanical or electrical noises due to operation of the mechanism` constituting the invention.

A. further object of the invention is the provision of means whereby a given note or combinations of notes or sounds may be sustained for any length of time.

A further object of this invention is to provide an instrument for reproducing and simulating musical notes and instruments wherein all rotatable members have a. record of fundamentals, harmonics and overtones which can be selectively controlled by the operator.

With the additional vpurpose of providing a mechanism of the vcharacter stated which is simple in construction, relatively cheap and easy to produce, which may be compactly assembled and which is thoroughly reliable and efficient in use, and with various other purposes in view, the invention consists of novel features of construction, combinations and arrangements of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and defined in the appended claims.

In the drawings,

Figure l is a detail side elevation, partly breken away and in section, of an electronic musical instrument constructed according to an embodiment of this invention,

Figure 2 is a rear elevation, partly broken away, of the instrument,

F'gure 3 is a fragmentary vertical section of the instrument,

Figure 4 is a diagrammatic view showing the electric circuits embodied in this invention,

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Figure l,

Figure 6 is a fragmentary longitudinal section or" one of the note or tone reproducing units.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral lf3 designates generally a cabinet which is formed of opposite side walls i I, a topy wall l2, and a front wall i3. The cabinet i is provided With a plurality of horizontally disposed shelves lli which are vertically spaced apart so as to provide unit chambers i 5, the purpose for which will be hereinafter described.

The cabinet i also includes a keyboard i6 having a plurality of keys o-r levers il rockably mounted on mountings i8. Each compartment or chamber i5 has mounted therein a plurality of instrumental note unit members generally designated as l, which are disposed in sidewlse abutting relation. Each unit I9 includes a housing or case 2t* which has mounted therein an electro-magnetic pickup member 2l carried by a standard or mounting 22.

An endless web or tape 23 engages over the pickup member 2l and also engages about a pair of grooved rollers 2B and 25. The roller 25 is rotatably carried by a vertically disposed roch lever 26 mounted on a supporting 21 carried by the base 28 of the case 20. The lever 26 extends above the roller 25 and terminates in an armature 28 disposed in confronting position to an electro-magnetic operator 30 which is disposed in a housing or case 2G. The lever 26 is limited in its rocking in a counter-clockwise direction by means of a stop 3i which is carried by the housing 2,0.

The web or tape 23 which is formed of fibrous material such as paper or the like, and has embedded therein metal particles adapted to be magnetized, is kept substantially taut by means of a gravity roller 32 which is carried by a lever 33, and the lever 33 is rockably carried by a standard or upstanding' support 34 which is secured to the base 28.

The electro-magnetic pickup member 2l includes a male contact member 435, as shown in. Figure 5, which extends through one side wall 35 of the housing 25, and also includes a female contact member 31 extending through the opposite side wall 33 of the housing 20. In this manner the electro-magnetic pickup members 2'I are connected in series and the endmost units are connected to an audio amplifying unit 39 by means of conductors 4S and d i. A volume -control member 42 is interposed in conductor 4 I, and as shown in Figure 4, the output side of the amplifier 39 is connected to a loud speaker 53.

v"Ihesidewalls and 33 of the housing 2B are provided with horizontally extending slots 44 within which-a driving shaft d connected to and operated by a motor i5 is adapted toengage. The wheel or roller` 25 has iixed relative thereto a `friction wheel Il? which upon clockwise rocking .of vlever T25 is adapted to frictionally engage the drive shaft 45 to thereby move tape 23 over the stationary pickup member 2 I. The pickup members 2I are in constant circuit with the amplier .39 and when the electro-magnetic member 55 is energized, lever 2li will be rocked clockwise to engage driving wheel el with shaft 45 so that selected ones or groups of tapes 23 will be moved with respect to the electro-magnetic pickup member 2l.

The electro-magnetic members 3i) are connected by means of a conductor 55 to one side of an electric supp-ly source, and as shown in Figure li, the motor d5 for each group of unit members I9 is connected across a. supply wire 5I and a .conductor 52 which connects electro-magnetic member Sil with a key operated switch structure generally designated as 53. The switch 53 includes a common .contact carrying b-ar 54 which is secured to a support 55 disposed above the keyboard member and contact carrying bar 54 is. connected to conductor 5I.

Switch 53 includes an adjustable contact inember 56 and a resilient contact 5l disposed in confronting position to contact 5S. Contact 51 is connected to conductor 52 and contact 51 extends forwardly in a position to overlie the inner `or rear :end of a key or lever Il. Each key or lever II is biased upwardly at its forward end by means of a .at spring 58, and a cushion or felt 5'9'is disposed adjacent the rear or" key I'I and is mounted on a block Gil. A second cushion or .felt BI vis mounted on the board I6 adjacent the .forward end of key Il so that the forward end of the key I'I will strike cushion 5I when key II is ydepressed at its forward end to a switch closing position.

In the use and operation of this instrument, .each compartment t5 will have mounted therein .a plurality or" units I9 comprising essentially the complete `scale or notes for a particular instrument. As .an example, the uppermost compartment may have notes recorded from an organ, the succeeding compartment having units bearing notes 4from a piano and the other compartments may have other instrumental notes such as brass, string or percussion instruments. The volume control member 42 with its associated switch 48 is mounted on a panel board 62 which is disposed above the keys II, as shown in Figure 3. When, as an example. itis desired to play the notes from an organ, the control member and switch 42-43 connected with the organ units is turned on whereupon the keys I 'I may be played in the normal manner. As each key II is depressed, the associated electro-magnetic member 30 will be energized, thereby setting into operation the associated tape 23. At the time the combined control member and switch 42-48 is turned on, the correlated motor 46 is energized and shaft 45 will be continuously rotated so that the selected tapes 23 will be moved when the associated electro-magnet members 30 are energized. It will, of course, be understood that with an instrument as hereinbefore described, one or more series of reproducing units may be combined, it only being necessary to turn on the combined control and the switch unit 42-48 for the particular series of note units of the selected instruments. In this manner the playing of the keys I'I will effect a reproduction of notes and tonesfrom either one or a series of instruments at the same time, thereby producing the effect of an orchestra or symphony through the single instrument.

As shown in Figure l, the loud speaker 43 may be disposed at the forward portion of the cabinet It beneath the keyboard and the audio ampli- :der 39 may be-positioned in a bench or seat 64 on which the operator is seated. By providing the units I9 as hereinbefore described with the pickup members 2| connected in series, it is a relatively simple matter'to replace any unit I9 and a very considerable reduction in Wiring is effected. Furthermore, by providing for the starting and stopping of the tape movement through the electro-magnetic member 35, it is possible to produce what is termed the live characteristics of musical notes, thereby eliminating the synthetic note reproduction obtained from oscillating tubes and circuits.

It will 'be understood that the live characteristics of a note are defined as an initial retarding of the tone note and a similar final retarding of the note which normally occurs When the note is produced manually on a musical instrument. While this initial and nal tapering of the Ynote vtone is infinitesimal, it is nevertheless a characteristic of manually produced notes which have not heretofore been capable oi reproduction in mechanical instruments.

I do not mean to confine myself to the exact details of construction herein disclosed, but claimall variations falling vwithin the purview of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

.1. A musical instrument comprising a plurality of keys, a-plurality of electro -magnetic note units disposed in side by side relation, each unit comprising a housing formed with a rearwardly opening slot, a flexible normally stationary endless sound reproducing element in said housing, a driving wheel forsaid element in said housing and projecting rearwardly into said slots, a common operator for said driving wheels projecting into said rslots, a vpower circuit for said operator, an amplifying unit, electric circuits coupling said note -units with .said amplifying unit, a plurality of electromagnetic circuits, electro-magnetic means in said latter circuits for coupling said .driving wheels with said operator, a plurality of key-operated switches 'interposed in said electromagnetic circuits, and a loud speaker connected to the output of said amplifying unit.

2. In a musical instrument, a plurality of electro-magnetic note units disposed in side-bY-side relation, each unit including a flexible normally stationary endless magnetized member, a common operator for said members, a power circuit for said operator, a plurality of sound impulse transmitting electric circuits, a. plurality of electro-magnetic pickup members disposed in cooperative relation with respect to said endless members and interposed in said latter circuits, electro-magnetic means for coupling each unit with said operator, electric circuits for said electro-magnetic means, and key-operated switches interposed in said latter circuits.

PIERRE P. PATTYN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

